Motor-vehicle.



T. G. VAN SANT.

MOTOR VEHICLE.

APPLICAT lON FILED JUNE 27. 1914;

Patented Oct. 12, 1915.

2 SHEET$-SHEET I.

WITNESSES.

ATTORNEYS COLUMBIA PLANOORAPH COWWASHINEITON. n. c

J II I I l l l I 2 SHEETSSHEET 2.

Patented Oct. 12, 1915.

T. G. VAN SANT.

MOTOR VEHICLE. APPLICATION FILED JUNE 21. 1914.

| i ll WITNESSES:

COLUMBIA PMNDGRAPH c0..\vAsmNuToN, D. c

' WEED S PATENT Prion;

I THOMAS G. VAN SANT, OF POPLARBLUFF, MISSOURI, ASSIGNOR OF ONE-HALF TO SAMUEL G. DOB-MAN, 0F POPLAR BLUFF, MISSOURI. 7

MOTOR-VEHICLE.

To all whom it may concern: 7

Be it known that I, THOMAS Gr. VAN

SANT, a citizen of the United States, residing at the city of Poplar Bluff, in the county of Butler vand Statevof Missouri, have, invented a new and useful Motor-Vehicle, of which the following is a specification. f

This invention relates to motor. vehicles,

tion, in combination with manually controlled means for actuatingthe engine and its associated parts in the other direction.

Another object of the invention is to pro-.

vide an engine mounting having associated therewith a driving friction disk whereby said friction disk may be brought into and out of cooperative relationship with a driven friction wheel by moving the engine automatically toward the friction wheel and manually away from said friction wheel, said mounting being so constructed and arranged that the pressure of the friction disk against the friction wheel will be increased when the motor vehicle is traveling upwardly on anincline and the pressure'will be relieved or lessened when the motor vehicle travels downwardly on an incline.

Another objectof the invention is to provide suitable means for moving the engine, having associated therewith a driving friction disk, into and out of cooperative position with a driven friction wheel and for varying the relative cooperative positions of the driving disk and friction'wheel, whereby the speed and direction of rotation of said driven friction wheel may be controlled selectively and at the will of the operator.

Other advantages and novel features resulting from and residing' in the constructionof the present invention will be obvious to those skilled in the art,from the 1601* Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented 0a., 12,1915.

Application filed June 27, 1914;. Serial No. 847,754;

lowing detailed disclosure, taken in 'connec'- tion with, the, accompanyingdrawings, in which f 4 Figure 1 is a side elevation of an engine and its associated parts mounted upon a support embodying a preferred form of the present invention. Fig. 2 is a. transverse vertical section taken on the line 22 of Fig. 1, viewing the engine and the mounting therefor from the forward end. Fig. 3'is a plan View of the engine and its associated parts supported by the engine mounting embodying the present invention. Fig. 4 is a plan view of the engine mounting structure, a part being broken away.

In the drawings, in which I have illus- 'trated one embodiment of my invention, a pair of spaced yckes 1 are supported trans' versely of the side members 2 of.the chassis ofthe' vehicle. The ends of the yokes 1 are rigidly secured to the side members in any suitable manner and," as illustrated, the means employed comprises a plurality of bolts 3 passing-through the side walls of the members 2, the ends of'theyokes being seat-' ed between horizontal walls of the channel bars constituting the side members. yokes l'a're provided at either side with upwardly extending brackets 4 in which are formed bearings 5.

Bolted to each end of the case of the .en'-- I gine M are cross heads or plates '6. I prefer to utilize a single bolt for securing the engine to the for'ward cross head and two bolts for securing the engine to the rearward cross head, as clearly illustrated in Fig. 4 of the drawing, ,thus providing a three-point support between the motor and the cross heads.

Each of the cross heads is providedwith hubs 7 adjacent to the lower corners thereof, the hubs on each side being longitudi nally alined. A pair of rods 8 extend parallel with the side of the enginecase and witheach other and are removably, but rig idly, secured at each end to the cross heads, said rods projecting through the hubs a slight distance, and being threaded "to receivejnuts 9.

In mounting the engine the rods 8 are passed through'the bearings 5v and then secured in proper adjustment by the nuts 9;

The rods 8 are thus held in rigid horizontal adjustment between the hubs 7. It will be apparent that this arrangement permits the engine to be moved longitudinally, the rods 8 sliding in the alined rigid bearings 5. Encircling the rods 8 and interposed intermediate the bearings 5 of the rearvard yoke and the hubs 7 in the rearward cross head 6 are strong expansion springs 10, the tendency of which is to slide the engine and its associated parts rearwardly.

To the end of the main shaft of the engine, which projects rearwardly therefrom, is secured a friction driving disk 11 the face of "which is disposed in a vertical plane transversely of the chassis of the vehicle. driven friction wheel 12 is arranged in cooperative adjustment with said driving disk, the periphery of said driven wheel being movable transversely across the face of the friction disk. The driven friction wheel 12 has transverse movement but is permanently fixed with respect to relative longitudinal position in the chassis of the vehicle. The tendency of th Springs 10 is to actuate the engine rearwardly and to force the driving. friction disk 11 against the periphery of the driven friction wheel 12. An anti-friction end-thrust bearing 13 may be mounted on the main shaft intermediate of the friction disk 11 and the engine case if desired, thus eliminating the end thrust ofthe main shaft. A depression or recess 14 is formed in the face of the friction disk, said recess being concentric with the axis of the friction disk. The rearward movement of the friction disk limited adjustable abut.- ments comprising set screws 15 projecting forwardly through lugs 16, for l dv on the bearings 5,, of the forward yoke 1. Thus,

will be observed that when the driven friction wheel 12, is moved to pcsition so that its periphery is oppositethe recess 14 inthe friction disk 11 there will be no cooperative contact between the friction disk 11 and said driven friction wheel 12. I'also provide manual'means for moving the engine and its associated parts) which includes the friction disk 11, out 7 of cooperative relationship with the driven friction wheel 12 against the normal tendency of the springs 10] Any suitable means for this purpose can be employed and I have shown one satisfactory construction. As I have illustrated this construction in the drawings it com; prises a lever 17 fulcrumed mediate of its ends on a stud l8 fOIIned on one. of the bear ings of the rearward yoke 1. One end of said lever is connected to one of the hubs 7 of the rearward cross heads 6; by a link 19.. The opposite end of the lever is connected to an operating rod 20 which may be operated through any form of manual operating'means, such as a foot lever on a hand evee e emeteries, o which is tell known and therefore not shown in the present disclosure.

nrom the foregoing it will be observed that the construction of the present invention is simple and durable and that it may be operated with facility. In driving a car the operator may readily, either through a hand lever device or foot lever, shift the motor and its associated parts including the friction disk 11 forwardlyagainst the tension of the springs 10 so that the friction disk will be out of contact with the driven friction wheel. In this adjustment the driven friction wheel may be readily moved across the face of the friction disk, so that the speed of the vehicle and its direction of rotation may be readily and precisely determined.

The mechanism whereby the friction wheel 12 isv moved across the face of the friction disk is made the subject matter of copending application filed by me on the 27th day of June, 1914, and numbered serially 8%7752, and is therefore not disclosed herein. It will be apparent, however, from the present disclosure that the precise speed of the vehicle may be determined by the selective adjustment of the friction drive elements and that the friction drive elements may be so adjusted that, when moved automatically to coiiperative adjustment, upon the release of the mechanism operatingin opposition to the springs 10, the ma chine be driven in either direction at selected speeds. The friction drive elements may also be adjusted so that both the friction disk and the driven friction wheel may independently rotate without making contact, afterthe manual mechanism operating in. opposition to the springs 10 has been released.

Under normal conditions of operation and when the vehicle is traveling on a level road, the springs 10 will hold the friction drive elements in contact with each other with suflicient force to transmit the power of the engine to the transmission mechanism. If, however, the vehicle is traveling upwardly on an incline the weight of the engine sliding rearwardly on its mounting will supply additional. force for holding the friction drive elements in contact. Likewise, it will be apparent that in traveling downwardly on an incline the engine will "tend to move forwardly and lessen or release the force with which the friction driveelements are held in contact. The increase or decrease of force will be proportionate tothe angle of incline, over which the vehicle may be traveling.

I am aware that various modifications in the structure be made without depart ing. from the spirit and scope of the invention and l do not limit myself. therefore, ae eet. eta s b t sis, of supporting members extending longitudinally of the chassis, guides upon which said supporting members are movable longitudinally of the chassis, a motor sup ported by and movable with said supporting members longitudinally of the chassis,

a driving friction disk mounted on an axis extending longitudinally of the chassis driven by said motor and movable longitudinally with said motor, means actuating said motor in a direction longitudinally of the. chassis effectively to hold said driving friction vdisk in contact with said friction wheel, and manipulative means for moving said supporting members and thereby said motor and said friction disk longitudinally of the chassis in a direction away from said friction wheel.

2. In a motor vehicle, the combination with a chassis having longitudinally extending side members, yokes rigidly supported by said side members, a driven friction wheel supported in a fixed longitudinal adjustment with respect to said chassis, a motor, cross heads secured to said motor, bearings formed in said yokes, rods secured to said cross heads and being movable in said bearings, a driving element associated with said motor, automatic means actuating said motor toward said driven wheel, and manual means for moving said motor away from said driven wheel, substantially as specified.

3. In a motor. vehicle, the combination with a chassis, of yokes rigidly supported by said chassis, bearings formed at each side of said yokes, rods secured to the motor at either side and adapted to slide in said bearings, springs actuating said rods in one direction with respect to said yokes, and

manual means for actuating saidrods in the opposite direction in opposition to said springs.

4. In a motor vehicle, the combination with a chassis having side members, longitudinally alined brackets at each side of said chassis rigidly supported by said side members, a motor, supports for said motor, said supports including a pair of longitudinally arranged parallel rods slidably mounted in said bearings, automatic means for shifting said supports and thereby said motor in one direction, adjustable abutments limiting the automatic movement of said supports and said motor, and manual means for shifting said supports and said motor in the opposite direction, substantially as specified. p

5. In a motor vehicle, the combination with a chassis, and a friction wheel whose axis extends transversely of the chassis, of

bearings near each side of the chassis, supporting members supported by said bearings and slidable onsaid bearings longitudinally with respect to the chassis, a support mounted on said supporting members and movable therewith longitudinally of the chassis, and a friction disk carried by said support, means actuating said support in a direction longitudinally of the chassis to position to contact said frictiondisk with said friction wheel, manipulative means operable to slide said supporting members on said bearings longitudinally of the chassis to move said friction disk out of contact with said friction wheel, and a motor for actuating said friction disk.

6.- In a motor vehicle, the combination witha chassis, and a friction wheel, of a support, bearings upon which said support I is slidable longitudinally of the chassis, a

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friction disk carried by said support, a motor for actuating said friction disk, manipulative means for sliding said support upon said bearings longitudinally of the chassis in a direction-to move said friction disk away from said friction wheel, and automatic means for sliding said support upon said I bearings longitudinally of the chassis in a direction to move said friction disk into con, tact with said friction wheel.

7. In a motor vehicle, the combination with a chassis, and a friction wheel, of a number of longitudinally alined' bearings adjacent to each side of the chassis, a sup- V porting member slidably mounted in the the alined bearings near each side of the chassis, a motor supported by said supporting members, afriction disk driven by said motor and supported by said supporting members, manipulative means for sliding said supporting members longitudinally in said bearings in a'direction to move said friction disk away'from said friction wheel, and automatic means for sliding said supporting members longitudinally in said bearings in a direction to move said friction disk into contact with said friction wheel.

8. In a motor vehicle the combination with a chassis, and a friction wheel adapted to be moved transversely of the chassis, of bearings mounted upon the chassis, a support carried by said bearings and shdable longitudinally of the chassis, a friction disk carried by said support and having a concentric recess in the face thereof, automatic means for sliding said support upon said bearings longitudinally of'the chassis in a direction tov move said friction disk into contact with said friction wheel, manipulativemeans for sliding said support upon said bearings longitudinally of the chassis in opposition to said automatic means in a direction to move said friction disk awayfrom said friction Wheel, and a motor 1 mQllllted n a d ipped for wan ng. said friction disk. i

2 n a mo or ve c e t e c mbi a n with an engine, of rods secured in horizontal adjustment at either side of and supporting said engine, brackets rigidly secured to the side members of the chassis ofthe vehicle adapted to slidably support said rods, springs for actuating'said rods in one direction with respect to said brackets, and manually operable means adapted to actuate said rods in the other direction in opposition to said springs, substantially as specified.

10. In a motor vehicle, the combination with a plurality of brackets longitudinally alined in pairs and ri idly secured to the side members of the chassis of the vehicle, rods slidably supported by said brackets, plates secured to said rods and disposed transversely thereof, an en ine supported by said plates, springs encircling said rods intermediate one of said platesand a bracket on each side of tlievehicle, a lever, connections between said lever and one of said plates, and manual means for operating said lever effectively to move said rods and said plates in opposition to said springs.

11. In a motor vehicle, the combination with a chassis, longitudinally alined sup? ports rigid with the side members of the chassis, and a frame slidable longitudinally of the chassis in said supports, of automatic means for actuating said frame in, one direction, manually operable means for moving said frame in the opposite direction in op position to said automa Qc means, a driven member supported by the chassis, a driving member supported by said frame and movable into and out of contact with said driven member and normally retained. in contact with said driven member by said automatic means.

12. In a motor vehicle, the combination of a pair of brac rets having longitudinally alined bearings supported on each side member of the chassis of the vehicle, a frame, slidably mounted in said brackets, adapted to support the engine of the vehicle, adjustable abutments, mounted in one of the brackets on each side of the vehicle, adapted to limit the movement of said frame in one direction, automatic means actuating said frame against said abutments, and means for moving said frame in the opposite direction, substantially as specified.

13. In a motor vehicle, the combination with a chassis having side members, longitudinally alined brackets at each side of e ii-awe said chassis rigidly supported by said side members, bearings, coaXially alined, supported by ackets a slid l vframe n'lounted in said. brackets, ftthIQQ PQlIllI support between said frame and the engine of the vehicle, an engine having a friction drive disk extending beyond the rearward end of said frame, means limiting the rearward movement of said frame, automatic means wanting sa d ame em va -@1 3, an m nual means for moving said frame in the opposite direction, substantially as specified.

1%, ln motor vehicle, the combination with an engine having a rearwardly extending main shaft, a friction disk on said main shaft, an anti-friction end-thrust bearing between said friction disk and the engine case, a frame supporting said engine, a three-point connection between said engine and said frame, springs actuating said frame rearwardly, and manual connections for operating said frame forwardly in opposition to said springs, substantially as specified.

15 in a motor vehicle, the combination with a chassis, a pair of axially alined bearings rigidly secured to each side member of the chassis and projectingupwardly therefrom, rods slidably mounted in each pair of bearings, plat rigidly supported transversely of said rods, an engine, rigid connections between said engine and said plates, springs interposed between one of said plates and one of said bearings on each side, and a lever operatively connected to one of said plates, adapted through manual connections, to move said plate in opposition to said springs, substantially as specified.

16. In a motor vehicle, the combination with a chassis including side members, supports carried by the side members of the chassis, and a frames idable in a rectilinear plane in said supports longitudinally of the chassis, of automatic means for actuating said frame in one direction, manually openable means for moving said frame in theopposite direction in opposition to said automatic means, a driven member, a driving member supported by said frame and retained in contact with said driven member by said automatic means, and a motor device for operating said driving member.

In witness whereof, I have signed this specification in the presence of two subscribing witnesses.

' THOMAS VAN SANT. ll itnesses;

' Rni'n V. LOWRY, W. S. RANDALL.

Copies of this patent maybe obtained for five cents each, by addressing the Commissioner of Patents,

Washington, D. G. 

